


Visions of Reality

by StarryEyedGalathynius



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Enchanted Forest, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Missing Year (Once Upon a Time), Multi, The Enchanted Forest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-08-24 16:16:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8378983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryEyedGalathynius/pseuds/StarryEyedGalathynius
Summary: "She has dreamt about being in a similar situation, not that long ago. Being chased…Being hunted down…" set during the Missing Year/Enchanted Forest. What happens when the search of the Wicked Witch' lair goes terribly terribly wrong...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everybody! So this is my story about how I started using AO3 recently to not-so-lowkey- stalk all my fave ACOMAF writers, as the total fangirl that I am, and along with a year's worth of prompting from my bestie/beta, I decided to actually use it for my OQ fic as well (-which I had untill recently only uploaded on FF.Net). So! If you find yourself with extra time come hether and feed my infinite need for approval and love by reviewing my fic! I promise I won't bite -unless you are rude OR delicious in which case I shall not be considered responsible for whatever comes your way! :-P I am only half kidding but, like I often like to point out, it's my better part! for whatever that's worth ;-)
> 
> p.s If you already notived the limited size of this first chapter WORRY NOT! The first chapter is mostly an introduction so it's subsequently a lot shorter than the following ones will be. ;-)
> 
> ****

She has dreamt about being in a similar situation, not that long ago. Being chased…Being hunted down…The thing is, in those dreams, it was her past she had been running from. Now, though… Now she has flying monkeys roaming the skies above her head… Now she is not dreaming anymore… Now… Now she is no longer alone…

In reality, she hasn’t been alone for quite some time, pretty much since their return in the Enchanted Forest. In the beginning it was mostly Snow White that would seek her out, either to start a conversation or, to just simply spend some time together, quietly walking next to each other, basking in the comfort of familiarity, of moments shared between the two…

Lately, though, there has been another lingering presence, both in the shadows as well as in the broad daylight. A figure cloaked in dark tones of earthy green and brown, matching each of her steps, subtly making sure she is never that much alone and, most importantly, never truly unprotected.

Sure, in the beginning (although she is currently unable to pin point the exact moment he started walking a little closer or unexpectedly showing up when it was, seemingly, least probable) she was somewhat annoyed with his lack of discretion and her consequent absence of privacy. She didn’t even have to lift her gaze to verify he was around. Because he was. He always was. But it was his maddening smell of pine, soil and earth evading her senses, and his rich, masculine, throaty laughter saved, as she had noticed, mostly for his son, that gave him away…

She was annoyed in the beginning, but the beginning was no more, and if she was completely honest with herself, she found his presence reassuring and comforting, filling the empty space between herself and everyone else.  
Indeed, she hasn’t been alone for quite a while. Still, she had never realized how much she truly appreciated that. Not until now…


	2. Chapter 2

**_Indeed she hasn’t been alone for quite a while. Still, she had never realized how deeply she truly appreciated that. Not until now…_ **

In reality, there had been several weeks since the day that her new curse engulfed them and transported them to the very familiar but somehow estranged landscape of what they once used to call home. Home. What a strange word. How much gravity and meaning do those four letters carry. And yet she couldn’t associate this very private word with _this_ place, a place where the most loved, intimate and precious part of her life was not by her side. A place lacking a young boy who meant more than he could ever imagine. A place that was destined to cast her into oblivion, for, in this place, she is nothing but a story. A myth.  A fairy tale just not so fairy after all. A place where she is missing her son and her son has gone missing…

There had been several weeks since their group of foreigners intertwined their destinies with faces both known and unknown, creating a rather peculiar group of all kinds of colors and fabrics. Red, grey, blue, _green_ , satin, lace, _wool_ …

There had been several weeks since she had to make peace with the fact that what used to be _her_ castle, was not hers any more.  What used to be her _land_ was hers no longer. She would be lying though, if she didn’t admit that sharing her belongings as well as her life and her burdens with people willing to help didn’t offer any solace. Cause it did. More than she could ever admit, having the Charmings with her, the last thread of connection between herself and Henry, enveloped her in a soothing and healing fog that made life a little easier and breathing a little less forced.

There had also been several weeks of council meetings which was exactly the reason why she currently found herself in such an arduous situation. Since the Wicked Witch hadn’t made any move for quite some time, _that_ had cast a feeling of unease to everyone thus proving necessary that this time it was up to them to act before something worse would come their way.  So, during the aforementioned meeting it was decided that a scouting group would try and track down the Wicked Witch in an attempt to find her hiding place.

 Agreeing upon the direction they would follow had most definitely _not_ been an easy matter. All kinds of opinions were expressed, for some of them thought that it would be best to travel towards the North of the forest while others preferred a trip headed to the South. No matter what though, the thing that was most important, for Regina as well as Snow and Charming, was to secure first and foremost a maximum degree of safety. For those were lands that not many had set foot on, even back at the time when living here was the only life they knew. Sure, being accompanied by Robin and his Merry Men added a solid advantage to their mission, but still, those were lives no one wanted to jeopardize. So, since it was stated that following the road to the North would be less dangerous, that was the path they found themselves following.

The scouting party, as it was considered best, needn’t consist of many members. Having already established that attracting as less attention as possible would be of the utmost importance, their assembly was composed by herself, the Charmings (though she wasn't sure _that_ was a good idea what with Snow being pregnant and all), Red, Mulan, five of the Merry Men and their leader, who just kept being included to everything lately, causing her nerves to be on edge and her heart to beat a little that much faster. And that’s how they found themselves horseback riding into the deepest parts of the Sherwood Forest...

 

It was strange, she thought, how a place like this, filled with so many heartbreaking memories, memories of loss and hatred and loneliness, could, at the same time, be such a wondrous sight to behold, such a beautiful place to spend your life. The sun had begun its decent and a variation of colors too extraordinary for words to describe had taken their rightful place on the velvety sky. Crimson, pink, orange and a few scattered silver linings of grey adorned every inch of the sky and she was left speechless by the magnificence of it all. You see, for as long as she could remember, she had always wanted to escape this place. Always imagined being somewhere else, far away, where her mother’s expectations would be too far away to reach her, where she would be the person she wanted to be without feeling trapped and locked in a life that didn’t feel like it was hers to live. She would lay on her bed in the evenings or she would stare at the endless sky while feeling the soft grass on her back and she would let her mind drift to distant places… Where she could be happy… Where she _would_ be happy. Existing here, _now_ , breathing the freshly poured rain upon the revived ground, the fragrance evading her senses, it was easy for her mind to take her back to a time she had tried to cast into oblivion, a time when she was less than what was expected of her, when she was someone she didn’t recognize at all.

That string of thoughts kept her focus occupied hence rendering her unaware of the fact that their group had come to a halt. Apparently, while she was taking glimpses of her past, someone had suggested they stopped for the horses to be fed and also for themselves to stretch a bit and relax their sore muscles. Sitting on the saddle can be comfortable for so long!

Their newly welcomed peace lasted but a few moments.

Soon the air was filled with a screeching sound that caused her memory to take a dive into that very first day of their arrival, when she had found herself and Snow being attacked by a couple of “winged freaks", a small part of her sister’s (undoubtedly peculiar-looking) army. Unfortunately, that was exactly where she found herself once more.

She had thought they were cautious. Keeping it quiet throughout their journey hadn’t been just Regina’s course of action. Obviously this place was affecting everyone more or less, one way or another. The only sound escorting them that of the trees rustling. The delicate movement of the branches offered more solace than any words and the wind occasionally picking up felt like a caress.

 

But still, evidently, even _that_ hadn’t been enough…

One moment she was discussing the possible hiding place of her so called sister with Snow and the following they were under attack by this absurdly looking flying army.

 It only took a couple of seconds for total chaos to erupt, with their scouting group being seemingly assaulted from everywhere. It surely felt as if the skies had opened, raining monkeys down on them.

She watched as people frantically tried to escape, to save themselves and the ones they cared about, while one after the other started to disappear in the thick darkness of the forest.

And Regina just… _stood_ there. Looking above. Unmoving. Unafraid. Unaccustomed to finding herself under such circumstances.

For a moment everything stood still. The noises of the world dissipated, while the warmth of the sun was lightly kissing her olive skin. The only existing sound the one her heart was producing. The only feeling she was experiencing the one of her blood pulsating inside her veins.

_She_ was the one that wicked sister of hers was after. Maybe it could end just like that. Nobody had to suffer because of her. Not anymore. It wasn't like the thought hadn’t crossed her mind before. How her surrender would release everyone of the dread and fear that had consumed their lives. How it would release _her._ She _wanted_ to be free. She wanted this heaviness that had taken a permanent place in her chest to be lifted. Her thoughts… her _thoughts_ … How would she deal with those every day? So far it had been a struggle. Worrying too much. Feeling too much. Maybe… _maybe_ … maybe that was the answer after all… what she didn’t go through with before. Though this time Regina was certain that her fate wouldn’t be a sleeping curse, an infinite middle. An infinite _end_ would be more probable, coming from the hands of her _dear_ sister.

It was then that she heard it - _her name_. Weak at first. Probably coming from afar. How could she know, though? She was so fixated in her thoughts that she couldn’t notice anything or anyone.

Her name, almost like a whisper, almost like things long forgotten….

Maybe she was imagining this. Besides, who would risk their lives for her? Even the Charmings… They had a baby to take care of and she certainly wasn’t going to make another innocent child grow without its parents . Of that she was certain.

But the sound only grew stronger. Came closer.

It was then that she saw him… _him._

She didn’t register nothing else but his eyes. So blue. So deep. So penetrating. Only a hair’s breadth away… She didn’t move. She just kept standing there. Kept looking at him, truly noticing him, for what honestly felt like the very first time. The hard lines of his face, the neatly trimmed stubble, the few wrinkles around his eyes. His _eyes_ … _God_ … She could feel herself getting lost in those blue depths, never wanting to resurface ever again. But there was something else there too, except for the care and the warmth. Was that… What _was_ that?

It was then that she felt it. His hand grabbing her upper right arm, not painfully but strongly, supporting her, keeping her alive, and forcefully yanking her with him in the stillness of the forest.

She wasn’t alone anymore. And _that_ made all the difference…


	3. Chapter 3

Focus…

_Focus!_

She has to concentrate…

                                                                                        **********

The first thing she noticed when her senses seemed to return was the distinctive itchiness that now adorned both her face as well as her exposed shoulders, carved on her smooth skin by the branches that never got out of her way, branches she could have avoided has she been paying attention to her surroundings. Her surroundings…where _were_ they exactly?

 Judging from the clear opening they had reached they must have been running for quite a while. The density of the forest, she noted, had subsided greatly, giving place to a somewhat round area, void of trees, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. And yet she seemed to recall none of it. Her mind was still clouded with her previous thoughts, thoughts of a past rendered to remain forever as it was and a future that had yet to be decided.

The second thing she noticed was his hand still holding her own. The heat radiating from his touch where their fingers met. She wouldn’t quite admit it -not yet at least - but Robin’s hold on her was the only thing anchoring her to their current, shared, reality… Folding her hand with his own he quite unknowingly made her feel less alone, still reminding her that she was there. The _he_ was there with her…

She should protest… And she _would_  have had his touch not felt so natural and so very soothing…No no no no _no!_ What was she thinking?! She was the queen… right? She was! Wasn’t she? She sure didn’t feel like a queen at the moment, but she was. She had never wanted it though. This was never the life she’d have chosen for herself had she been asked. Had she been a part of the decision that would determine such a great part of who she’d become. _A Queen_ … She could still hear her mother’s words. How that was the future she deserved. But it was _her_ future nonetheless. And as such, she should have had a say for, in the end, it was her resolution and no one else's.

Gosh how she despised the reign that was forced upon her and along with it a marriage that made her feel like a silly toy, like a trophy only to be shown around when the occasion required it and cast aside when there wasn’t use for it any longer. She never liked this kind of life. Feeling trapped within the small confines of a title she never really wanted for herself. Trapped within a life that seemed to suffocate her as the days passed and turned into years.

She _had_ to concentrate…

The opening…

His hand…

Him…

_Robin_ …

Breathe… Oh God she cannot breathe… she has to stop-

“Milady?” Robin’s voice sounded labored and distant- their running having obviously taken its toll on him as well-and the momentum of her abrupt halt having forced him to take a few steps further from where she was standing, before all movement was finally seized.

Bent in two, her hands clutched her skin underneath which her lungs lay, forcing those _damned_ organs to function properly by taking deep, long breaths. Breaths that came out shaky and broken and were inhaled with equal force and difficulty… What was the _matter_ with her? She felt salt water cascading down her flushed cheeks and then two gentle hands…warm fingers cupping her face, thumbs softly wiping the tears that she had no recollection of having allowed to be shed. Leaning into his touch and finding there a tenderness that she had long ceased to think was possible but that came so easily in his company...

“Milady?” Robin tried once more, his worry evident though his warm accent ever resilient, a constant balm for her sore heart.

“I…I can’t…” came her answer, constrained and pointed.

“You can’t what? What is it?" and when no reply arrived, he needed only to add a soft " _Regina_ …” for her eyes to finally rise from the ground upon which they had found shelter.

_That_  was the moment her eyes landed on his own for the first time since they had stopped running. The moment that her given name fell from his lips like a whisper. Like a promise… Many were the times that she had reprimanded him on his tendency to call her by any other name other than her royal title. ”It’s Your _Majesty_ “ she would say, anger flaring, temper rising. And yet, had she known what feeling would accompany such a liberty she would have allowed it, allow _him,_ long ago.

His thumbs now moving in small, light circles at the area where he still touched her crimson cheeks and she could feel her heart pace slowing down, her feelings of loss subsiding, her hurt fading just a little bit.

_God…_ how on earth she was supposed to voice all those thoughts that seemed to violently attack her mind, ripping her soul apart. She wanted to... For the first time since forever she felt like someone was genuinely interested in her well being, in her _being well!_ And for that she wanted to give him a parcel of her secrets… just a little bit. Show him that she understood his intentions, that she accepted them even. That she trusted him. But _now_  was not the time. There _would_ be a time, she decided; she would make sure of that, but not just yet. Not while they were running for their lives. Not when everything was so very uncertain.

Hands that were, until then, caressing her cheek, slid down her neck, both coming to rest at the junction where her neck and shoulder meet. She could feel her skin buzzing at the touch of his calloused fingers and she could only hope that he wouldn’t feel how deeply this contact was affecting her, how accelerated her pulse seemed to be once more, for reasons far more different than of moments ago.

A nod and her soft _“Let’s go”_ was all the reassurance he needed, his questioning eyes taking her in, giving her a moment while stealing one for himself (he was a thief after all), and the light squeeze she gave his arm was all that he wanted, a clear enough indication that she was ready to move forward, wherever that forward may lead them.

The sound of the approaching monkeys filled the air, for what seemed like the millionth time that day _(“What is this Witch feeding them?”_ Regina thought) and that was enough for him to grab Regina’s hand once again, a token of a shared understanding and a proof of his feelings, and run towards the end of the clearing. They had to reach the main part of the forest where they wouldn’t be as easy a target as they were while remaining at this exposed area. The forest would hide them, creating a shield between themselves and the never resting beasts. Just a while longer…

Almost there…

                                                                                      **********

When the shadows of the trees finally fell upon them Robin felt himself relaxing a little, knowing that, for now at least, they could catch their breaths and hopefully come up with a plan. Running forever didn’t seem like a plausible thing to do, in all honesty.

His back touched the nearest tree trunk and he leaned on it, allowing his weight to be shared with the solidity that this ancient creature provided, alleviating some of the strain and exhaustion that were progressively taking residence in his body. Regina fared quite similarly, her hilled boots and heavy apparel not the best choice for intense running, nor for simple horseback riding for that matter, for her own heaviness had begun long before their recent activities. She let her cloak fall on the ground, landing with a thud, clear indication of its weight, and using her magic (a little magic wouldn’t harm that much, surely) she changed her hilled boots with flat ones. God knows how much running was yet to be forced upon them. When she was finally feeling a little less like “ _a loaded camel”,_ she allowed her eyes a glimpse at Robin, only to find him watching _her_ in return. What was it with this man and the way he was looking at her? She could feel a blush starting to creep up her neck and it was then she decided to become slightly more active, or to tell the truth, to offer a distraction from the place her mind was taking her, a place involving no one but herself and a very handsome, blue-eyed Merry Man.

 “What now?” came her request and that seemed to revive him a little bit as well. It seemed that concentrating on a task was working for both their favors.

“Are you alright?” he replied with a question, wanting to make sure that she was at least in a better state than not that long ago.

“Fine…” and she didn’t even have to wait for his eyebrow to lift to know that she didn’t sound convincing. This was going to be a long day she thought, releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Doesn’t matter,” she admitted with a sigh that was far more revealing for her liking,” let’s just figure out how to get away from this God forsaken place” , came her reply for he owed him that bit of honesty at least.

She was sure her words didn’t sound really satisfying but after a long moment of him staring at her he gave her a nod and with a push of  his lower body and hands he left the tree he was leaning at behind, coming to stand closer and closer – _and closer._

“I think we should wait until the night has fallen. The sun is already lowering so it won’t take that long. With the darkened sky and the forest I don’t think we will be so easily tracked.”

“I could transfer us both to the palace then. After they have ceased to follow us that is…” she added, earning an appreciative nod from the man whom, not that long ago, could not stand being near at and yet, now, she couldn’t think of a better place for him to be…

“Shall we then?” Robin asked, and _this_ time he didn’t have to take her hand.

_This_ time, it was given to him freely …


	4. Chapter 4

Things progressed very quickly and very _very_ poorly soon afterwards… Zelena’s flying beasts had proven to be a lot smarter than both Robin and Regina had originally estimated. Well… maybe not _smart_ (Regina wouldn’t go as far as giving such a compliment to such foul creatures) but they were canny, that’s for sure, and a lot more well trained than one would have imagined while looking at them.

Despite the duo’s earlier thoughts that a level of safety would be secured if they were to stay hidden underneath the heaviness of the lavish forest, this ever resourceful simian army had them, once again, trying to figure out a new hiding place. They had barely made it a good ten meters forward where they would have reached the deepest part of the forest, the darkness finally enveloping them in its relative safeness, when these atrocious monkeys had taken a dive and had chosen to proceed their mission of capturing their targets on foot. Their very own footsteps, landing on the crunchy orange and yellow fallen leaves, along with their labored breathing that their seemingly never ending running had made a permanent presence, would have covered the sound of the creatures’ descend in the most dangerous of ways, had Robin not being paying equal attention to his companion _as well as_ to their hunters’ movements. Their landing couldn’t have lasted more than mere seconds but the gap that that submergence provided was enough for Robin to make his quick move. Having been the first (and to be honest, only one) to realize what was currently happening and what would soon transpire if he didn’t move fast enough, he pulled a still unaware Regina to his right, behind a tree large enough to keep them both unseen for a while longer.

To say that Regina was surprised by his bold move would be the understatement of the century (might as well of the millennium, why the hell not!?). One moment she was scanning the woods for a hint of direction and the next her whole body was being moved without her consent, turned and finally seizing all movement with her back landing roughly on the aforementioned tree. Without missing a beat, Robin’s body came to rest almost entirely on top of hers, placing his left forearm at her eye’s level next to her head, and with his right palm tightly securing a hold at the dagger he was always carrying with him, a dagger hanging securely from a loop of his belt.

Drawing a deep breath she was about to vocalize an unimaginable, and on the most part quite unladylike, amount of protests before she was beaten to it as the thief had apparently realized her intentions and decided to take things on his own hands (his very _very_  skilled ,masculine ,calloused yet soft hands- oh God, what was she thinking?- _again_ ). Sure enough, she felt two fingers landing on top of her lips, silencing her, while he lifted his other hand, placing his index finger to his own lips and with a nod of his head he pointed at the direction that the monkeys were currently standing, sniffing the air for their prey.

She was so curious as to what his eyes were seeing and what hers were deprived of that she instinctively leaned forward, her upper body now colliding with Robin’s in its entirety, causing her breath to catch somewhere in her throat and her eyes to lift. Her uncertainty palpable, she allowed her eyes to take their time, absorbing his face, mapping its details, the route from his shoulders (where she was until then resting her eyes) to the lines of his lean neck, his strong jaw, his trimmed beard, his straight, lean, nose, and finally, his eyes. Eyes as blue as a cloudless summer day that were now staring back at her with an intensity she had tried to deny before, but was now so apparent as was the warmth she was nurturing towards this man more and more lately.

Leaves rustling and paws moving unveiled their clouded minds and she resumed her attempt to see what Robin was looking at. Still in a daze from the tension that was still crackling in the air between them, she leaned a little further, clearly more than she should have, and miscalculating the shift of her body’s weight she felt herself falling, getting more and more exposed to pairs of yellow devilish eyes, eyes that should not, under any circumstances, get a glimpse of her.

She had to admit, she owed the man, probably more than she could ever pay him back, she realized, for he was quick in his movements, skilled in noticing even the slightest of changes thus too easily encircling her body when she started to waver, and returning it in its original, natural, straight posture, securing them both from exposal. 

She tried to avoid his gaze but she could feel his eyes caressing her skin, scanning her face slowly, wandering, searching with a curiosity that she realized had everything to do with the fact that her clumsiness must have been misinterpreted for a death wish…only it was anything _but_ a death wish. It was more of a need, a want and a willingness for something she couldn’t quite pin point but felt oddly familiar and yet somehow nothing but an aftertaste of emotions and situation she had thought she’d never come to experience ever again.

She closed her eyes allowing him to fully embrace he, not just as something to lean on but as someone to lean _to_ , feeling him securing her more firmly to him, holding her impossibly close, impossibly steady, impossibly his…

* * *

 

His arms never left her body, their place upon her slender waist. And more than that, the more he felt Regina relaxing, figures molding to one, the closer he held her, unable to define who was protecting whom, which of the two had the deepest desire for what was now occurring between them.

Although he couldn’t see her face Regina felt raw and more exposed than she ever had in the past. How strange, how entirely peculiar the human heart is, working in ways that none would expect. Longing for something and when the object of its desire is captured, finally, it begins searching anew in a request different than before, wondering and never settling….

He must have felt her heart’s pace getting progressively, almost instantaneously quicker for, after putting the slightest distance between them, enough for him to look in her eyes without harming his very own his whispered “It’s okay…” was released softly, almost tenderly she thought, just a breath away from her. The air his words created landed upon her sealed lips, cooling them, his forehead coming to rest on her own, his nose bumping with hers in a most touching way that had her heart melting a bit towards where his own live-beating organ was resting. How odd of him to understand her in ways that words never could express…

She wasn’t worried, exactly. It wasn’t fear the emotion that she was experiencing. It was mostly the heaviness of sentiments coming back to her from a vague time long ago. when all she had wanted was the love of a stable boy. Now though, the amount of emotions she was trying to place and give name to, all rushing back in waves along with the whole “running for their lives” tiny detail, made quite the burden on her shoulders. So many emotions had resurfaced in the hour they had spent together running from those beasts.

Coming to think about it…

Where _were_   those horrid artifacts?

“Robin?”

God, why did her voice have to come out so hoarse?

“Hmm?”came his only reply, while he was quite obviously remaining under the cloak of their fogged state.

“It is quiet... _Too_ quiet,” Regina provided in a whisper, and she needn’t say it a second time for Robin was already swiftly turning, his back to her front, reaching for his arrows and bow, securing them in place all while his eyes scanned their surroundings.

Before their… ehm…current state of… _affairs_ the monkeys could be heard sniffing the air, scratching their clawed paws on the ground, creating, even distantly, some short of noise. Now all that existed was an eerie silence as if all sounds had disappeared, a stillness falling upon the forest like those few precious soft seconds before a storm hit full force claiming and demanding all there was. _That_ , Regina knew all too well, was _never_  a good sign.

Her mind travelled back to another realm, another epoch foreign to her now. She found herself at a time when Henry was young enough, oblivious, to whom she really was, enough, long before words such as “you are the Evil Queen” and “you are not my mum” ever left his lips, when they would snuggle on their couch, resting on the soft, fluffy cushions, him soundly resting on the crook of her neck, her arms loosely hugging him, watching documentaries on Animal Planet.

She could, even now, summon back memories of Henry’s mild gasp, his lungs ceasing their movement for just a heartbeat, when, in his tender age, watched how a lion, stalking its prey, lowered its body till its belly touched the African soil, seemingly disappearing from sight before it reemerged, jumping forward, his claws digging and ripping the skin of the gazelle, a victim that the male was not two minutes later carrying back to its clan, meant to feed its members.

She could still recall these memories while she had inadvertently taken the place of that gazelle, of that victim. Victim to the claws of another hunter. Another animal.

She could still recall these memories while a pandemonium of screeching noises erupted, filling the atmosphere around them.

She could still recall these memories while Robin’s arrows were being shot the one after the other, leaving his bow, creating a wave of wood and steel meant to cause wounds that would never heal.

She could still recall these memories while she watched him being thrown away from her, his ribs hitting a fallen log, his eyes getting lost in the unconsciousness his pain provided…

She could still recall these memories while fireballs escaped her palms, fireballs she didn’t remember having ordered to be released, but were now burning fur, nonetheless, allowing a solemn final breath from those two animals that were now nothing more than lifeless corpses.

She could still recall these memories when, taking in her surroundings her eyes landed on the sight of an unmoving Robin, laying on the ground.

And she could _still_  recall these memories when his name fell from her lips in a sob, her legs moving, running and ultimately, carrying her next to him.

_“Robin…”_


End file.
